Detroit Red Wings D Kindle to replace Lashoff for game with Stars

Wings coach Mike Babcock has decided to put defenseman Jakub Kindl back in the lineup and sit Brian Lashoff against the Dallas Stars.

“He’s got to move the puck,” Babcock said. “He’s a skilled guy on the back. He’s got to shoot the puck. The big thing is he’s got to grab a piece of the action. That’s up to him. That’s what these opportunities are for. You’ve got to reach out and grab hold of something and then make it your own. If you don’t, you’re not in the lineup.”

The move is designed help Detroit anemic power play, which is 2-for-26 this season.

Kindl was a healthy scratch Sunday.

“When you look around, our back end we have two guys out, definitely it’s an opportunity,” Kindl said. “I’ve just got to take it and just be ready for it. Whenever I get the chance I just have to show I can play.”

Danny Cleary will provide the net-front presence on the second power play unit.

Valtteri Filppula (knee) will play.

“Obviously the pace is pretty tough right now, so we’re trying to rest a little more when we have a chance with practice days,” Filppula said. “But it’s been pretty good at games, so I’m happy about that.”

Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (separated left shoulder) skated for a bit on his own. He was injured in the Wings’ first game on a check against the boards.

“As soon as I start to get more movement out of it I’ll hit the ice.”

It’s the same shoulder he sprained at Spengler Cup on hit from Damien Brunner.

“I just got hit, from the impact from the hit, I couldn’t move it,” Colaiacovo said. “I knew right away that it was the same shoulder. It felt a lot worse. Very frustrating at the time, still is, but just got to come to the rink, put a smile on my face every day, work my rear off to get back in the lineup as soon as I can.”

Colaiacovo has yet to play more than 67 games in any season.

“It’s been a tough first week, even just trying to sleep,” Colaiacovo said. “That’s the only thing I can continue to do, off the ice continue to get better, healthy and get myself ready to get back as quick as I can.

“It’s a tough way to start,” Colaiacovo added. “I want to be out there as bad as anything right now. It’s a good motivation for me to keep myself going, work off the ice, get it stronger.”

Darren Helm (back) doesn’t know when he’ll be back on the ice.

“I think it’ll be more about how I feel,” Helm said. “We’ll have a little timeline set up probably, but right now, kind of day by day for when I can actually get on the ice and skate.”

Helm played last Friday and then sat Sunday after his back acted up in practice Saturday.

“The game felt fine,” Helm said. “It felt a little stiff near the end just sitting around. But it wasn’t bad. The next morning I woke up, it was fine. When I started getting out there (Saturday), halfway through, the time where I got off it started hurting. I did a little stretch and it kind of kept flaring up. I got off the ice.”

Helm had an MRI that came back negative for disc damage.

“It wasn’t a worst-case scenario, so you have to take one positive out of that,” Helm said.

Helm doesn’t think he’ll be back playing until next week.

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